History

Since 1916 The Children's Clinic, sponsored by the Oak Park River Forest Infant Welfare Society, (OPRFIWS) has provided health services to children from infancy to age 18. The Infant Welfare Society’s role in the early years was to raise funds to provide clean milk to newborns and their mothers. From the “milk stations” in the early 1900’s, the focus has expanded to providing medical, dental and social services care that focuses on health promotion and disease prevention. 

Over the past five years, The Children's Clinic has experienced double-digit percentage increases in the number of patients served. While the original focus was to serve patients from Oak Park and River Forest, today the organization serves children from 50 Cook County west suburban communities and Chicago. The clinic provides more than 9,300 medical, dental and social service visits to more than 2,600 children. A child is never refused treatment for inability to pay.

Who we serve

The Children's Clinic provides health care services to low income children

• The children are from 50 Cook County communities and Chicago.

• Every family we care for at the Clinic meets the federal poverty guidelines.

• Most patients participate in the state All Kids/Medicaid Health Insurance Program.

• In FY 2010, the Clinic provided more than 9,400 medical and dental visits and 1,500 social work visits.

• The population is diverse – 52% Hispanic, 30% African American, 9% white, 2% bi-racial, 4% Asian-Pacific Islander, 3 percent Native American and other.